'Mr. Education' Dies

Clarence E. Bell, a former Arkansas state senator known as "Mr.
Education," died of congestive heart failure April 29. The 85-year-old
had also been diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago.

The longtime Democratic senator from
Parkin retired in 1992, after a 35-year tenure. Mr. Bell was known for
his commitment to education, including his contribution to the approval
of state education standards in the 1980s during then-Gov. Bill
Clinton's administration. Mr. Bell also worked as an educator for 28
years--as a coach, a teacher, and a superintendent.